Awaab’s Law to apply to private rentals – government statement
Summary
The government has announced a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law from social housing into the private rented sector, with the aim of imposing strict repair timeframes for serious health and safety hazards such as damp and mould. The article also notes that the Renters Rights Act has already introduced fines for category 1 hazards, and that the consultation will help determine how the new protections will be implemented and when they will take effect.
Why it matters
This is directly relevant to residential property surveyors because it signals tighter expectations around identifying, reporting and evidencing serious housing hazards, particularly damp and mould. Surveyors may increasingly be asked to assess category 1 risks and support clients in understanding compliance, repair urgency and underlying defect causes.
Key points
- Awaab’s Law is set to be extended to private rentals via consultation.
- The consultation closes on 18 December and will shape implementation timescales.
- The focus is on serious health and safety hazards, especially damp and mould.
- The government says around one in 10 private rented homes have a category 1 hazard.
- Propertymark and the NRLA both stress the need for workable rules and effective enforcement.
This is an RPSA summary of a publicly available article. The full content remains with the original publisher.
